To Fight a Dam, Rather Than 'Live on Your Knees': The Goldman Prize goes to Ikal Angelei, a Kenyan activist, for...

Goldman Prize Ikal Angelei has campaigned to block a dam on the Omo River in Ethiopia, saying that it would deprive people around Lake Turkana in northern Kenya of their livelihoods. At a casual glance, Lake Turkana in northern Kenya may not seem a fount of milk and honey. The temperature around the lake hovers around 100 degrees, and tourists are warned not to approach the water because of the crocodiles and vipers lurking among the volcanic rocks. Yet Lake Turkana, the world’s largest permanent desert lake, is regarded by many anthropologists as the cradle of humankind. Today it serves a vital purpose for local indigenous communities that depend on its waters for fish and other resources; in 1997, citing its rich biodiversity, Unesco listed it as a World Heritage site . Ikal Angelei, 31, one of the six winners of this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize , grew up playing ...